site.btaBulgaria to Launch National Programme Ensuring Access to Life-Saving Naloxone

The Ministry of Health has announced the start of work on a National Programme to ensure access to naloxone, a life-saving medication for opioid overdoses, both within and outside the healthcare system.

Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a fast-acting opioid antagonist that rapidly reverses overdoses by blocking opioids from brain receptors, restoring normal breathing within minutes. It can be administered as a nasal spray or injection and has no effect on non-opioid overdoses.

At the latest meeting of the National Council on Narcotic Substances, it was decided to form a working group tasked with designing a sustainable mechanism for naloxone distribution and use. The goal is to make the medication available in emergency medical centres, first-line response teams, police, customs, prisons, and other high-risk environments. The group will develop concrete proposals to guarantee quick and effective access during emergencies.

The creation of the national programme marks a significant step toward long-term policy that does not rely solely on donations, but ensures predictable and sustainable supply. Authorities emphasize that this initiative is crucial for reducing opioid-related deaths and protecting the health and lives of at-risk populations.

The Ministry recently reported that all emergency medical centres in the country are now equipped with naloxone, ready for immediate use in opioid overdose situations. 

Earlier in the day, the prosecution service warned of a worrying trend in the spread of new synthetic substances, along with a lack of up-to-date legislation to address them. The problem is no longer limited to traditionally known narcotic substances, according to prosecutors, and increasingly serious threats are posed by fentanyl, GHB and its precursors, new synthetic opioids, and other substances that are more potent, harder to detect, easier to conceal, and in many cases far more dangerous to health and life.